Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Power of Pink

Move furniture to the garage and other places to make room for mirrors, pink balloons and all kinds of sugary treats. After the house is nearly empty then clear it of any living thing that is male.

Next fill those rooms with piles of velvet dress-up gowns, colorful tulle tutus and other dancing costumes. Bring out boxes of old prom dresses, cheerleading uniforms and pom poms. Set up a table of costume jewelry complete with sparkling rhinestones, pearls and beads. Throw in a stash of feather boas, sequined belts, patent leather purses and a variety of large hats and bonnets.

Now invite ten wide-eyed little girls, ages 6 months through 14 years who had no idea what to expect at the party. Add nine grownup girls who all are in need of being totally silly for a few precious hours.

That was the scene on Friday night. Within minutes after walking through the door my home was total chaos and little girls' clothing was strewn across every surface in the house. Feathers, velvet and tutus were flying all over the place. Sounds of ooohs, aaahs and giggling echoed with each new outfit. The grownup girls were good sports about getting dressed up, even those who are extremely shy about getting in front of a camera.

My shutter clicked over 300 times in those four hours. As I look back through the images I am impressed by the absolute beauty and inner strength of these women.

Every. One. Of. Them.

(Note: I will be spending the next few days editing and will post when they are available. In the meantime the feathers and popcorn on the floor will just have to wait...)

(Additional note: Littlest (purple dress) was suffering from a bad ear infection and spent most of the evening on the couch. She is feeling better now.)